Thursday, 15 July 2010

The Book and The Black

I admit I am high.

My 8th edition rulebook turned up today, and I am rather giddy, in part from the ink fumes. It truely is a magnificent tome. I really like the opening, which sets the tone perfectly for what the game is intended to be, with Matt Ward and Jervis setting up a game - I love the pic of Jervis peeking over the table checking LoS - before shaking hands and going for a pint.

If that isn't a one finger wave to the self important hard core tournament morons who think they run the game, then nothing is.

I's like to say that the lavishly illustrated book is Warhammer porn, but the fact is that it is the exact opposite of porn, because the book genuinely has a soul. Sure it contains the painting stuff, and the collecting stuff, and all the rest that is crammed in to ensure the book achieves it's aim of meeting the needs of the hard core gamer and also the complete newbie - but what this edition does achieve, that previous editions haven't, is that nothing feels like padding - or tacked on. Or indeed put in for the sake of having it there. If anything it feels as if the 500 odd pages was not enough to get in all they wanted to achieve - basically it does feel as if the energy dropped out of the project when they finished the rules. This is not simply a rule book, it is a complete guide to the hobby.

A big thumbs up to GW.

And sure it is pricey - but I certainly don't feel ripped off. I feel like I have got good value.

Of course if the binding gives way after a month I might change my view.

Speaking of which I did have a slight heart attack that the binding had gone when I got to page 462 - 463, igf you have a copy you will kow what I mean.

In other news I have been pushing on with my Ogres.

And to that end I have painted my giant....

Odd isn't it?

A black face in Warhammer.

But wait, it's a slave giant - surely....

Yeah I have had that internal monologue, and indeed I have had a number of other monologues, like should I change the theme of the army to make some kind of political statement - overt political statement - like having Jonny Reb banners, or some sort of adaption of the White Man's Burden - but then I came to my senses and thought 'WTF'.

I wanted a black giant because of the connection between the Ogre Kingdom and the Indus - and indeed I am more than pleased that the skin tone of the giant matches the skin tone of Southern India - the Dravidians - as opposed to black Africans.

Still it is odd how few black faces there are in Warhammer - especially 40k.

I guess time will tell how people react to my black slave giant - or indeed me for having one.